Not Another 316 AU Fic
by mermaid2bseeker
Summary: How many ways can Sam save Dean? Due to the proliferation of "No Rest for the Wicked" tags and AU fics out there, I'm going to post all my ideas under one story title. Each chapter will be a complete idea.
1. Chapter 1

Not Another 3:16 AU Fic  
by mermaid2bseeker

* * *

It wasn't like before. When Sam had died, Bobby feared Dean would kill himself; now that Dean was dead, Bobby feared Sam would kill everyone but himself.

While Dean had screamed out at Sam's death, Sam was scarily quiet. It was unnerving. Bobby was torn between staying back or getting them all out of the house, since there was still an army of demons outside.

"Sam," he began, but what could he say? What was there to say?

"Bobby?" Sam's voice was so small, like he was channeling his eight year old self.

"Yeah?"

Sam laid Dean's body on the floor reverently. He straightened his clothes, seemingly needing to do something but not knowing what to do. He looked up at Bobby with a broken expression. "Promise me something."

Sensing the boy needed it, Bobby said, "Anything."

Sam's entire demeanor changed, "Don't stop me." Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Sam's eyes seemed to flash with power.

"What are…"

It was too late, Sam turned back to Dean and the air distorted, solidified. Bobby couldn't move. Time seemed to slow, the air screamed with light and sound. Once he could see again, he saw Sam fighting to calm a struggling Dean.

Dean lay there gasping, skin unblemished beneath the blood stains. "Sammy?" He threw his arms around his brother and held tight.

For the first time, Bobby found himself afraid of Sam Winchester.

* * *

A/N: Please review.

Due to the proliferation of No Rest for the Wicked tags and AU fics out there, I'm going to post all my ideas under one story title. Each chapter will be a complete idea.


	2. Chapter 2

316 tag again

* * *

_That's not Ruby._

_Oh, she's somewhere far far away._

_Pfft. Not that far away._ Fortunately, Sam's reaction to the sudden voice in his head was covered by his back hitting the wall.

As he struggled against Lilith's hold on him, he felt his mind being invaded. _What are you doing? Who are you?_

_Listen, boy wonder, you want to save Dean, let me in._

Without consideration, Sam relaxed and felt Ruby permeate every inch of his being.

Lilith kissed Sam's unwilling mouth. "Such soft lips." Being in a big girl's body was fun. She felt a tug around her stomach and she found herself suspended against the opposite wall.

Sam cocked his head at her. "Huh. That was easier than I expected."

"Sam!" Puppy chow struggled to rise, but Lilith still had a hold on him. She may have been pinned against the wall, but she wasn't about to let go of what was hers without a fight.

She sneered. "So, the boy-King has some bite after all."

He broke her hold on him and approached her. "You really have no idea what he's capable of do you?"

Something wasn't right, this new body of hers was feeling fear.

"How did you ever get this far?" He stopped inches from her. "All of Hell must have been on vacation for you to rise this high."

This close, Lilith could sense something different about Sam, there seemed to be more essence inside of him than usual. Before she could fully understand how he did it, Sam summoned the ancient knife to his hand.

"Let Dean go," he growled, his eyes blackening, "and get out of my body." He plunged the knife into her heart.

A cold fire spread through her as she felt her command of the hellhounds slipping. Sam twisted the blade and Lilith cried out as the last shreds of her power faded and disappeared.

Dean heard the hell hounds whimpering. They howled as Lilith's demonic visage flashed in and out, before finally disappearing from Ruby's face. The hounds disappeared along with her, and Dean was able to roll off the table.

Before he could demand that Sam explained everything, Sam kissed Ruby's still pinned body. He watched, stunned as a demon flowed from Sam's body into hers. The two quickly broke apart, Ruby falling to the floor as the power released.

Now, Dean could lay into his idiot of a brother.

Sam preempted him. "We were out of time, what was I supposed to do? I just saved your life, you are not making me feel guilty for that."

Dean opened his mouth to yell at him, for all the good it would do, but Ruby cut him off.

"Hey, argue later," she barked. "There are still dozens of demons outside with Bobby."

"She's right," Sam said, heading out. "Come on." Dean followed, saving the ripping Sam a new one for later.

Behind them, Ruby looked at her blood-stained clothes, "and you're buying me a new shirt," she complained, retrieving her knife.


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, another 316 ficcy

* * *

Dean's dead.

Dean's dead and Sam knows what to do.

The house seems to tremble in fear as Sam lets go. He doesn't feel it happen but judging from Bobby's reaction, his eyes have changed. Suddenly, everything's sharper, colors more defined. There are lines of power, like barriers, surrounding the house, and Bobby glows with a dull white light.

Dead is darkened, he's empty. He shouldn't be empty. It's perverse and Sam fights the urge to turn away. Bobby's yelling at him, probably exorcism rites. The water feels nice, which must be unexpected because Bobby stops.

Sam has a plan, it's crazy and will possibly kill him, but he has to do it, he has to try. Bobby's efforts to stop him are desperate and touching, and Sam thinks Bobby would have made a good father if he had had the chance.

In a flash, Sam is in the Impala, and Dean's body is in the passenger's seat. The blood will be hard to wash out, and Dean will yell at him for it, but this is the only place that will work.

Spirits are sometimes bound by a location; where they lived, where they died; because of the emotional connection. Dean's blood, sweat and tears have gone into this car over the past twenty four years and Sam can use that connection.

There's power in this car and it's enough to make Dean's body glow dully. A small cut is all it takes to break the protection sigil and suddenly Sam expands enough to pull on that power, and feels something pull back. Hell doesn't want to let their prize go. They hold him and bury him deeper. It's pointless, Dean's soul shines like a beacon and Sam pulls harder.

Dean's screaming, or maybe they both are. The transit is painful and Hell is fighting back. Finally the tension breaks and Sam thinks he would have whiplash were he corporeal.

His brother's spirit is fragile, so he cocoons it within himself until it's mended. Together, he forces them both into his own body, keeping Dean asleep for now. The easy parts done, it's the next part he's not so sure about.

Convincing Bobby took less time than he thought it would. They drive to his house in silence, as Sam works to heal Dean's spirit from all the wounds it sustained in Hell.

Sitting on the bed beside his brother's body he wonders if he should leave a letter or something. No, that's too impersonal, he'll just have to trust Bobby will be able to explain it to Dean later. Dean's wounds have been sutured and bandaged, but he's still just a corpse and Sam is very scared but he's not going to let that stop him.

All that's left is for Bobby to finish re-warding the house. They've had to remove Dean's sigils for this to work, and he doesn't want either of them to be possessed while this is happening.

At Bobby's signal, Sam relaxes and lets himself expand. He pours out of himself and sinks into coldness and pain.

Dean was cold, after being in Hell, the first thing he noticed was how cold he was. Opening his eyes, he saw the ceiling of Bobby's guest room. Safe, he was safe; it didn't make sense, and he felt different but he was so tired.

The next time he opened his eyes, he found Bobby watching over him with the strangest expression.

"Bobby," his voice had suffered from all the screaming he had done.

Bobby helped him to a glass of water. "That you, Dean?"

"Who else would have my handsome face?" he answered, trying to sound like his normal self and failing miserably.

The joke fell flat when Bobby looked away awkwardly. Something was wrong and with a sinking feeling Dean knew what it was.

"What did he do? Where's Sam!?"

Bobby sighed and moved to the side, revealing Dean's battered, injured body lying on the other bed. "He's in your body and you're in his."

Dean woke suddenly from instincts borne of raising Sam. Though the voice was different, Dean recognized the noises Sam made when he was waking up in pain.

Dean watched as Sam, still in Dean's body, opened his eyes for the first time since starting this process. He walked over to Sam's side. Sam's eyes focused on his and he grinned sheepishly.

"So I guess you're pissed, huh?"

Dean nodded. "As soon as you're in your own body, I am going to kick your ass."

Sam looked ecstatic. "Good, that's good."

* * *

end


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